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February 27, 2026

    "Are You God’s Wife?"

    “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1)

    “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

    Yesterday, we looked at “bearing” up others in the sense of staking ourselves to them and holding them up, much like one would stake up a tomato plant. This is actually one of the meanings of the word used for “bearing with one another” in Ephesians 4:2 and Colossians 3:13. 

    However, the Greek word used for “bearing” in our two opening verses is different. Those subtle Greeks!! This word (bastazo) means to lift or carry and can imply removing something or carrying it away.(1) Sometimes we carry another person’s load in order to give them a break. But when we bear someone’s burden through prayer, we are doing more than this; we are doing so in order to help them get rid of it! 

    Christ bearing our sins and diseases is a powerful example of this. Isaiah 53, verses 6 and 12 state the following concerning Him: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all... He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

    Christ “bore” our sins and iniquities, but he is not still carrying them! He removed and carried them away from us, “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). And somewhere, somehow, He disposed of them. This connotation of bearing something in order to get rid of it is extremely important in the context of prayer. It is imperative to know that we don’t simply carry someone’s burden just to give them a break. We stake ourselves to them, as discussed in yesterday’s post, and pray to remove that which is burdening them!

    The Scapegoat

    The concept of the scapegoat in Scripture illustrates this (Leviticus 16:8-22). A scapegoat takes someone else’s blame and the consequences that follow. In Old Testament times, two animals were used on the Day of Atonement. One was sacrificed; the other was used as the “scapegoat.” The high priest would place his hands on the scapegoat’s head, confessing the sins of the nation, after which it was released into the wilderness, never to be seen again. This symbolized Christ the “scapegoat” bearing away our sins and curses, never to be remembered again. 

    We don’t “bear” another person’s sin - Christ did this once, for all, removing them from us. We do, however, bear one another’s burdens and weaknesses through prayer, with the goal of removing them. At times when we do so, Holy Spirit will allow us to truly identify with the other person’s pain, being moved with compassion (See Matthew 9:36-38; 14:14; 15:32; and others).

    Dick Eastman shares a remarkable incident from his life that illustrates the extent to which God can allow us to engage in this type of intercession. 

    “Several years ago, Dick was interceding for 153 children who were being held hostage by terrorists in Holland. The news media provided day-to-day coverage of this situation, and one day, as the terrorists’ demands intensified, the Lord brought him to an entirely different level of intercession. 

    “While praying in his backyard prayer chapel, Eastman suddenly could see himself inside the schoolhouse where the children were being held. As he looked at them through his spiritual eyes, he was startled to recognize his own six- and nine-year-old daughters among those held captive. He knew his girls were actually sleeping in the house just a few feet away, but this mental picture caused him to enter into an entirely different intercessory burden of prayer. The Holy Spirit laid upon him an intensity of prayer like none he had ever experienced.

    “Trembling with indignation, he authoritatively commanded the terrorists to let the children go. Various emotions exuded from him as he, from the position of being a parent of these children, labored in intercession over them, demanding their release. Sensing victory, the time of intercession abruptly ended. He went to the office a few minutes later and didn’t give it another thought throughout the day.

    “That evening, while at the family dinner table, he happened to see out of the corner of his eye a television left on in the family room. Catching his attention was a news report that three of the Dutch children had been released. Rather than being thrilled with this victory, Eastman was surprised to find his eyes filling with tears. Jesus, he said in his heart, I didn’t ask for three children; I asked for all of them to be released. And that was a prayer born of Your Spirit. With a fresh burst of boldness, he pounded the table with his fist and declared, ‘And I claim the miracle now!’

    “At the exact moment he hit the table, a local reporter interrupted the news broadcast to clarify that the report just aired had been recorded earlier and was incomplete. He went on to inform the viewers that, actually, all 153 children had been freed early that morning.

    “Eastman’s amazement at the precise timing of this continues to this day. He knew beyond a doubt that his prayers had made a difference, as had those of other believers.”(2)

    “There’s a story about an occurrence in New York City on a cold day in December, some years ago. A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

    “A lady approached the young boy and said, ‘My, but you’re in such deep thought staring in that window!’ ‘I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,’ was the boy’s reply.

    “The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. The store clerk quickly brought them to her.

    “She then took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy’s feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, ‘No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.’

    “As she turned to go, the astonished little boy caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked: ‘Are you God’s wife?’”(3)

    Just as this kind woman did, God wants to use us to bear and carry away the burdens, pains, and weaknesses of others. What an honor to be part of the bride of Christ. 

    Pray with me:

    Father, thank You for the privilege of partnering with You as intercessors. As we do, we become extensions of Your love and grace in the earth. Please mature us in this calling, enabling us to fulfill it much more effectively. We truly do want to be Your hands, Your feet, Your arms of love, and Your voice of healing. 

    You love people very much. Please impart to us Your heart, enabling us to love as You do. You desire to lift burdens and difficulties from them…and You want to use us to do so! Give us greater sensitivity as You alert us to pray for others. Not only will this glorify You, but it will also lift the burdens of many.

    We end our prayer today by asking You to show us anyone You would like us to stake ourselves to in this season. Who would You like us to pray for daily until their burden, difficult situation, disease, or mountain of adversity is gone? Who would You like us to strengthen and release to them Your provision? Whether a family member, a neighbor, a church leader, or a government official, we will do so. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

    Our decree:

    We decree that revelation regarding the church’s partnership with Christ is increasing, and that we will partner with Him at greater levels than ever before.

    Click on the link below to watch the full video.

    1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 

    2. Dick Eastman, Love on Its Knees (Tarrytown, NY: Chosen, 1989), pp. 35-37.

    3. https://littleganeshas.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/true-heart-opening-stories-about-children/

     
     

    February 26, 2026

      Lean on Me

      Charlie Brown is the principal character of the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles Schulz and syndicated in numerous newspapers worldwide. He is depicted as insecure, nervous, and lacking self-confidence, but is also very lovable. Lucy is the obnoxious sister of a friend, and Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s ever-faithful dog.

      In one episode, Charlie Brown was pitching baseball and doing a lousy job of it. Lucy was giving him grief, as usual. Finally, he could bear the misery and humiliation no longer. In an expression of exasperation that only Charlie Brown could think of, he stood on his head right there on the pitcher’s mound.

      As Lucy’s degrading mockery continued, the ever-loyal Snoopy did the unexpected. He walked onto the pitcher’s mound and stood on his head beside Charlie Brown, sharing his humiliation.

      You gotta love it. And Snoopy, by the way, was very biblical. The Bible says, “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Snoopy decided it wasn’t appropriate to let Charlie Brown bear his embarrassment alone.

      There are two words for “bear” in the New Testament. One, used in Galatians 6:2 above, means “to carry.” The other, used in Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:2, means “to hold oneself up against, (in order to bear up, or sustain something),” much like a person staking a tomato plant to sustain it from the weight it carries. When doing so, the strength of the stake is transferred to the plant and thus “bears” or holds it up. When the Lord commands us to bear with one another in Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:2, He isn’t simply telling us to “get along, or forbear with one another.”

      Although we certainly should do that, He is also saying, “Stake yourselves to one another.” In other words, we’re to come alongside a brother or sister who may be in a weakened condition, “weighted down” by a difficult situation, and “stake” ourselves to them. They won’t fall and be broken or destroyed because we are supporting them. Our strength is now theirs.

      In 1972, Bill Withers wrote and recorded his great hit, “Lean On Me.” Like Snoopy’s comfort of Charlie Brown, Withers’s song was also very biblical. We all, at times, need someone to lean on.

      The following story portrays this truth, as well:

      Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play in Major League Baseball. At the time, America had not made the progress we have today regarding racism. While breaking baseball’s color barrier, Robinson faced jeering crowds in some stadiums. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. His own fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then shortstop “Pee Wee” Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that Reese’s arm around his shoulder saved his career. 

      Wow!!! Now THAT is staking oneself to a friend.

      One way we can stake ourselves to others is through prayer. Mike and his wife were friends of mine, serving as missionaries in Jamaica in the 1980’s. While there, they experienced a life-and-death situation when their son contracted a critical illness. The young child, two or three years old, had regressed for several days to a point of near death. Mike decided he needed to “lean on” a few friends.

      I knew something fairly serious must be happening when I was interrupted by an assistant while leading a prayer meeting, and told I had an emergency phone call from Jamaica. I excused myself and headed to my office.

      “I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting, Dutch,” my friend Mike began, “but I desperately need your help.”

      “What is it?” I asked.

      “It’s my son, Toby. He is deathly ill with a raging fever. The doctors haven’t been able to find the cause. They’ve done all they know to do, but nothing is helping. They question whether or not he can survive another night in his condition.

      “I have been praying and praying for him, but can’t seem to break through. The Lord has now revealed to me that his condition is being caused by a spirit of infirmity; He actually allowed me to see it as I was praying. I have not been able to break its influence over my son. But I feel the Lord has shown me that if some strong intercessors join me, we can break this attack.”

      Mike and his wife, Pam, were strong believers, people of prayer, and walked in faith. They understood their authority in Christ, but they needed help. We all do at times.

      I went back to the prayer meeting, and as a group we staked ourselves to the Andersons. I know Mike had called others, as well, and they, too, were no doubt praying. We interceded for this small child passionately until we sensed a breakthrough.

      Mike called back later and said, “Almost immediately after I contacted you and several other friends to pray with me, the fever broke, and my son began rapidly improving. Within a few hours, he was completely well and released from the hospital.”

      The Body of Christ had functioned as the Lord intended.

      Mike then spoke the following words to me, which I’ve never forgotten: “Dutch, I asked the Lord why I had not been able to break through for my son without help. His only reply was: ‘Sometimes My covenant is released to you through others coming to your aid!’”

      That is profoundly significant - Almighty God using us to administer the blessings of His covenant to others! And it’s what intercession is all about!

      Friend, stake yourself to someone who needs your strength.

      Pray with me:

      Father, it brings You joy when Your family treats one another as family. Today, we choose love, forgiveness, and unity, embracing the magnificent truth that You release Your covenant benefits through us. The fact that we can be Your feet, hands, and loving arms is an amazing truth. Please remind us daily to stake ourselves to those who are experiencing difficulties.

      We ask that our hearts be molded until we embody the truth that it is more blessed to give than receive. May we live to give, being like the “good Samaritan,” who went out of his way to love and serve another. Break us out of self-serving mindsets, making us more like Christ, who modeled true servanthood. In His name we pray, amen.

      Our decree:

      We declare that we will be the arms of the Lord, loving and supporting those who need His strength.

      (Now, ask the Lord whom He would like you to bear up in prayer. Take a minute or two and pray for God’s strength and blessing to be released to them.)

      Click on the link below to watch the full video.

      Today’s post was adapted from my book, Intercessory Prayer, published by Baker Books.

       
       

      February 25, 2026

        “I Must Have America!”

        In October of 2000, just before the national elections, I had a life-changing encounter with the Lord. I was pastoring in Colorado at the time, and during a Wednesday night service, I walked to the podium to begin a message. Suddenly, a strange feeling overtook me; I felt a wave of heaviness and disorientation. I paused, trying to discern what was happening, and within seconds was weeping uncontrollably. I was so overcome that I couldn’t speak; I simply lay my head on the podium and began sobbing. 

        No one present knew what was happening, but Ceci and my staff were aware by now that this was the Lord at work in me. And it wasn’t stopping! She and my associates quickly decided that the best thing to do was send everyone home, put some worship music on a loop (repeating), and lock me in the building alone with the Lord.  

        God began imparting His heart for America to me, and it was overwhelming. I did not feel anger - though I’m sure we as a nation have angered Him - but instead felt His great love. I began to feel His grief, as well, the grief of a father for a prodigal. For three and a half hours, I wept over America, so hard at times that, as strange as it sounds, I was afraid I might die. It felt as though my heart was literally breaking. I did not know it was possible to cry from so deep within. 

        “Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry.’”(1)

        For three and a half hours that night, I helped God cry.

        At one point, as I lay on the floor holding and weeping over a U.S. flag, Father God spoke the following to me: “I must have this nation. For what I am going to do on the earth during this season of time, I MUST HAVE AMERICA.” And I knew that from that moment forward, my purpose in life was to help Him get her back. 

        My love and prayers for America are always filtered through this visitation. My interest in government is motivated by it, as well. My heart is not aligned with any political party; I’m aligned with a purpose: turning our nation back to God through a Third Great Awakening, enabling us to once again partner with Him to reach the nations. 

        While watching a speech like last night’s State of the Union Address, I always process it in light of the 2000 visitation and its resulting purpose. America alone is never the totality of my thoughts when listening; I am always asking questions inwardly, such as, “Where are we in the process, Lord? What does this mean to Your plans, Holy Spirit; how does it impact the coming revival here and around the world?”

        When I listen to President Trump, I am not focused on his personality, and I am certainly not moved by the criticisms of legislators who vote to kill babies in the womb and mutilate the bodies of confused children. I can look beyond Trump’s flaws to his policies, and forgive his past sins in order to agree with his present desires to make America and the world better. It seems somewhat senseless anyway to reject someone whose life God spared, then placed back in the presidency. The Lord seems to have more grace and mercy than many religious people. Continue to pray for our President, and for our entire government. 

        Pray with me:

        Father, we pray for our President, asking You to give him strength, endurance, wisdom, a pure heart, sound counsel, and protection. We pray that he is used to enact policies and plans that please You and align with Your purposes. We ask that You keep him bold and fearless, while enabling him to temper his words with wisdom. We pray that he becomes even more open regarding honoring You and appealing to heaven. We pray against any and all deception. Protect him and his family. 

        We pray for our Congress. We ask that in the midterms, leftists and Marxists don’t regain control. We pray that righteous laws are passed and unrighteous laws are defeated. We pray for Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, and other Congressional leaders, that they would make wise decisions and lead with wisdom and truth. We pray for their safety, as well as their families’.  

        We also pray for the Supreme Court, that You make it more honoring of You, and Your truth. Remove false ideologies from the Court, and remove justices who refuse to honor Your truth. Finish Your work of restoring it to You. And we pray for the safety of the justices and their families.

        And we pray for America, asking You to strengthen the growing revival, especially on our campuses. Release undeniable signs and wonders, confirming the gospel of Your Kingdom. Release Your strong arm against those who divide our nation for power and control; heal our nation. AND USE AMERICA TO HELP GENERATE THE GREATEST REVIVAL IN EARTH’S HISTORY! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

        Our decree:

        We decree that America shall be saved!

        Click on the link below to watch the full video.

         
         
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